Turnable and slidable separation elements are often used for partitioning and closing functional entities. For opening the functional entity, the slidable separation elements are turned, folded and preferably driven into a door compartment. Parked within the door compartment, the separation elements are no longer an obstacle, wherefore the functional entity can freely be accessed. After termination of the work in the functional entity, it can again be closed by pulling the separation elements out of the door compartment and by unfolding and moving the separation elements along the front side of the functional entity. Functional entities can be for example wardrobes or cupboards designed for storing material. Further, functional entities can be working areas or building units, such as a kitchen, that shall be closed after use, in order to prevent further access to the functional entity or in order to present an aesthetical front, instead of the working area.
[1], U.S. Pat. No. 8,336,972B2, discloses a furniture unit with a displacement device, with which a door, which is pivotally held by a mounting bracket, can be moved from a closed position into a door compartment. The mounting bracket is held vertically aligned when moving in and out of the door compartment by a scissor assembly that comprises two scissor beams that are connected by a joint. In addition, the upper and the lower side of the mounting bracket are connected to carriages that are guided along auxiliary rails that extend inside the door compartment.
[2], U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,056B2, discloses a wardrobe with a sliding foldaway door, which is foldable and can then be moved into a door compartment. The foldable door comprises a first door wing, which on one side is connected to a mounting bracket, which can be driven into the door compartment and which is pivotally connected on the other side to a second door wing. The second door wing is guided by two guiding devices, the first guiding device pivotally connected above the upper edge of the second door wing and the second guiding device pivotally connected below the lower edge of the second door wing. Further, the guide devices are movable along guide tracks, which extend along the front side of the wardrobe and further into the door compartment. An intermediate panel is arranged between the two door wings, which intermediate panel is connected with hinges to the first and the second door wing.
The arrangement of guide tracks along the lower side and the upper side of the wardrobe as well as the arrangement of guide carriages at the lower side and the upper side of the second door wing requires significant space and a specific embodiment of the wardrobe. Hence, this device cannot be used universally and is limited to the use in wardrobes that are equipped with the mentioned device elements at the lower side and the upper side.
Hence, the present invention is based on the object of providing an improved displacement device, with which slidable and turnable separation elements can advantageously be held and operated.
Further, an improved functional entity with foldable separation elements shall be created, which is equipped with the inventive displacement device.
The separation elements of the inventive displacement device shall be movable with only one hand with minimal force. Thereby, it shall be ensured, that the process of folding the separation elements can be performed smoothly. Noise and mechanical stresses shall be avoided when operating the displacement device.
With the inventive displacement device any functional entity, such as wardrobes, cupboards and working areas or building units, particularly kitchen, shall preferably be closable with one or a plurality of separation elements, particularly a plurality of foldable separation elements.
The inventive displacement device shall not appear distracting and shall require little space. In the state, in which the separation elements are opened, no elements of the displacement device shall be visible. Bezels and covers with which device parts need to be covered shall not be required.
Furthermore, the separation elements shall firmly be held, so that adjustments can be avoided or reduced to a minimum. However, in the event that an adjustment is required, then little effort shall be required.
These problems are solved with a displacement device and with a functional entity provided with such a displacement device, which comprise the features of claims 1 and 11, respectively. Preferred embodiments of the invention, particularly a hinge in a preferred embodiment, are defined in further claims.
The displacement device comprises a guide carriage that is slidable along a running rail and that is pivotally connectable to a first separation element.
According to the invention, the guide carriage comprises a carriage body with a carriage head and a carriage foot, which carriage head and carriage foot are connected with one another by a connecting beam. The carriage head holds at least one support wheel and at least two guide wheels and wherein the carriage foot is connected torque proof with a first end piece of a hinge lever, whose second end piece is pivotally held by a hinge shaft that is connectable to a sidewall of the first separation element.
The hinge lever is connected to the carriage foot and designed in such a way, that the hinge lever holds the guide hinge on the first side or the second side of the rail plate.
With the inventive displacement device a separation element, e.g. a sliding door made from wood or glass, can firmly be held and moved along a running rail and can simultaneously be turned. In preferred embodiments, the separation element can be turned by 180°, so that, if aligned in parallel to the running rail, the front side or the backside of the separation element is facing the user. Hence, the front side of the separation element can be moved into the one or the other direction along the running rail, whereby the separation element can execute a required rotation.
The displacement device requires little space and does not engage into the space above the functional entity. The functional entity, e.g. a wardrobe or cupboard, can therefore precisely be fitted into a space provided therefore, without requiring additional space for the displacement device. The displacement device can be inserted in a conventional functional entity that can be installed, in a room without restrictions or limitations.
In preferred embodiments the at least one support wheel and the guide wheels are arranged on the one side and the guide hinge and the separation element on the other side of the rail plate. In spite of the fact that the displacement device is not arranged outside of the functional entity, the displacement device can be arranged in such a way, that it also does not appear distracting inside the functional entity. Hence, bezels and covers are not required.
The inventive displacement device can advantageously be installed in any functional entity. In the event that the displacement device holds one separation element only, then the separation element is preferably guided at its lower side as well. For this purpose, guide carriages are used that comprise two guide wheels each, in order to keep the separation element in vertical alignment. The functional entity can comprise one or a plurality of separation elements that can be moved individually by means of the inventive displacement device. After opening the separation elements can for example be aligned side-by-side and can be stapled in a parking area requiring little space.
Use of the inventive displacement device in a functional entity, which comprises at least a first and a second separation element that are pivotally connected with one another and which can be stored within a door compartment, when the functional entity is opened, is particularly advantageous. The displacement device is mounted laterally at the front side of the leading first separation element and thus can guide the first separation element along a first rail section of the running rail, that runs along the front side the functional entity, and along a second rail section of the running rail, which runs inside the door compartment. During the movement along the running rail, the hinge lever can turn within the guide hinge by 180°, so that the separation element always follows the displacement device that pulls the separation element or is pushed by the separation element.
In further preferred embodiments, the displacement device is provided with a drive unit, e.g. a drive unit which drives a wheel of the guide carriage or a toothed wheel that engages in a tooth belt that runs in parallel to the running rail and preferably is held within the running rail. The drive devices of this kind are known for example from [3], U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,096B2. With a motorised displacement device, both separation elements can be pulled into or pushed out of the door compartment. Subsequently, the motorised displacement device allows folding and again unfolding the two separation elements. Preferably, the two separation elements are connected with one another via an articulated joint, which holds the two separation elements in symmetrical alignment. I.e., the two separation elements are always inclined by identical angles. Hence, the separation elements can be equipped with a single drive device, which can drive the two separation elements, which are connected with one another, out of the door compartment, can unfold, fold and can drive back the separation elements back into the door compartment.
Particularly, if heavy separation elements are used, then motorised carriages are preferably mounted on the distal sides of the separation elements. A motorised guide carriage connected to the first separation element can be used for unfolding and folding of the separation elements, while a motorised auxiliary carriage, which is connected to the second separation element, can drive the separation elements into and out of the door compartment. Furthermore, the inventive displacement device can also be used advantageously, when the separation elements are not driven into a door compartment, but are merely stapled in a terminal position or an intermediate position along the running rail.
Functional entities equipped with the inventive displacement device can manually be operated, since the inventive guiding mechanism requires only a little force. The articulated joint, which connects the two separation elements with one another, is preferably provided with a holding grip, which can manually be operated. By pulling the holding grip, the two separation elements can be pulled out of the door compartment, whereafter the first separation element can further be guided along the first rail section of the running rail by pushing the holding grip back against the functional entity.
In preferred embodiments the guide hinge comprises a hinge cup, which is recessed at the front sided edge of the first separation element and which preferably exhibits a cup recess, through which the hinge lever can be turned towards the outside. This embodiment ensures that the hinge lever can be turned by 180° against the hinge cup and thus can also the held first separation element can be turned by 180° against the running rail.
The use of a concealed hinge with a hinge cup recessed in the separation element allows arranging the hinge shaft within the separation element, wherefore a space-saving solution results. However, the use of a concealed hinge is not required, if the hinge shaft can be held within the separation element by other means. For example, a recess can be provided in the separation element, in which a bearing is inserted, with which the hinge shaft is held. Further, the hinge shaft can also be held on the outside of the separation element, so that a concealed hinge is not required.
The hinge lever preferably comprises a holding sleeve that is held slidable by the hinge shaft. In a preferred embodiment the hinge lever and the hinge cup comprise elements that abut one another without play after the hinge lever has been turned completely into the hinge cup. This feature can be realised for example by providing the hinge cup with a corresponding form. E.g., a recess is embossed into the hinge cup which serves for receiving and holding the hinge lever in the terminal position without play. Alternatively, a cup insert is provided that can be inserted into the hinge cup and that comprises a cup insert recess, into which the hinge lever can be turned and in which the hinge lever is held in the terminal position without play. In this preferred embodiment of the guide hinge a play is provided between the hinge lever and the hinge cup before unfolding the separation elements, which play avoids friction resistances, which otherwise can occur due to minimal differences in the alignment of the separation elements. However, after the separation elements have been folded, they are held precisely without play, so that the separation elements are aligned flush with the other elements of the functional entity, e.g. with the top of the wardrobe.
In a further preferred embodiment the hinge lever is connected with the carriage body in such a way that the hinge lever is vertically adjustable and/or turnable. By the vertical movement of the hinge lever, the separation elements can be lifted and aligned flush with the upper edge of the wardrobe. By turning the hinge lever, the guide hinge can be shifted towards the guide carriage, until the separation elements abut the walls of the wardrobe.
For this purpose, the carriage body, i.e. the carriage foot is preferably provided with a bolt chamber. The hinge lever is provided with a lever block, which comprises a threaded bore, into which the bolt shaft of a mounting bolt can be screwed. The bolt shaft is seated within the bolt chamber aligned vertically, i.e. perpendicularly to the running direction of the guide carriage.
The mounting bolt preferably comprises a bolt head that is seated in a bearing seat provided in the bolt chamber and a cylindrical bolt foot that is inserted into a base opening provided in the bolt chamber. The bolt foot that is extending out of the lower side of the bolt chamber is preferably provided with a coupling element, e.g. a hexagonal opening into which a tool can be inserted, in order to turn the mounting bolt and to shift the hinge lever to a desired height level.
The lever block, which is pivotally held within the bolt chamber, can preferably be fixed in a desired angular position by means of at least one adjustment screw, preferably two adjustment screws that are coaxially aligned. The at least one adjustment screw is arranged eccentric to the axis of rotation of the mounting bolt, so that a lever is obtained, with which the hinge lever can be turned and fixed. In the selected position, the lever block is then firmly held by the adjustment screw or from opposite sides by the two adjustment screws.
The displacement device is guided in the running rail preferably in such a way that no elements of the displacement device and the running mechanism are visible after the functional entity, e.g. the wardrobe or the kitchen, has been opened. According to the invention the at least one support wheel and the at least one guide wheel are engaged on the backside of the running rail, which is designed asymmetrically and which comprises a rail plate that is facing the outside of the functional entity. The running rail comprises a rail foot and a rail head that are adjoining the backside of the rail plate and that serve for guiding the support wheels and the guide wheels. The carriage body is connected in such a way to the hinge lever that the hinge cup and therefore the installed first separation element is held in front of the front side of the rail plate. Hence, when opening or folding the separation elements as well as after laterally moving the separation elements, e.g. into the door compartment, only the front side of the rail plate is visible, behind which the guide carriage with the support wheel and the guide wheels is hidden. Hence, the running rail serves also as a bezel, wherefore a separate bezel and related mounting means are not required.
All in all, a simple, compact, space-saving and cost-efficient set up of the device is achieved. Further, with the use of the inventive displacement device and the running rail a stable setup of the device is obtained, which ensures that also heavier separation elements, particularly foldable separation elements that are connected with one another, can precisely be held and guided. Hence, a guiding device arranged at the lower side of the separation elements is not required. Alternatively, a simplified displacement device or a locking device can be provided at the lower side of the separation elements, which hold and secure the separation elements for example in the terminal position only.
Below, the invention is described in detail with reference to the drawings.